The present technology relates to an imaging device, and particularly to an imaging device which achieves reduced size when sensitivity of image capturing and dynamic range are improved by using an electric field responsive material.
In recent years, improvement of sensitivity of image capturing and dynamic range has been demanded along with miniaturization of pixels of image sensors.
Thus, an imaging device has been devised in which liquid crystal panel capable of partially changing the transmittance of visible light is arranged in the preceding stage of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and feedback control of the concentration of the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal panel is performed according to an image signal outputted from the CCD image sensor (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-9007). In such an imaging device, even when a difference between light and dark of a subject image is large, no highlight occurs, and an image signal with a high dynamic range may be generated.
In addition, an imaging device has been devised which expands the dynamic range by forming a photochromic film in the preceding stage of a photo diode, the photochromic film having a transmittance which varies according to the amount of incident light (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-216701).